“Creators are our biggest competitors, not other media…
“We can’t wait for the audiences to age into traditional platforms,” said ABC Australia’s Daniel Ahern, speaking at RadioDays Asia.
In a session titled Youth Radio – New Audiences, New Talent, Ahern, who is Creator Program Lead at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said the reality is that younger audiences are resonating with Creators more than traditional media talent.
“Tiktok is a youth discovery feed, YouTube is their tv, podcasts are their radio.”
The ABC brought in Creators and taught them traditional media skills, resulting in 120 million views to the content they created, with over 85% being from people aged under 34. The broadcaster is using this strategy to supplement its traditional broadcast platforms and ensure it reaches every part of the audience.
The content that Australia’s national broadcaster is creating is “in all the ABC’s traditional areas of strength,” according to Ahern.
He emphasized that these creators are not just ‘Influencers,” they are subject matter experts who align with ABC’s public service mission. For instance, Aslan Pahari, a 27-year-old with a background in anthropology and international studies, has 7 million global followers and creates content that calls out misinformation on TikTok.
Pahari has massed his followers by explaining the overlooked parts of history and culture. Now he’s helping the ABC find new ways of telling historical and religious stories. His YouTube explainer on the 1979 Siege of Mecca has been viewed almost 2 million times, showing that complex topics can captivate young audiences if they have the right treatment.
Another example is Julian O’Shea, a Fulbright scholar, who “explores the extraordinary beneath the mundane” of Australia’s cities. His video on why escalators have grooves has attracted 8 million views.
Other successes from the ABC’s Creator Program include art historian Mary McGillivray, the best known art historian on social media who is now also seen on ABC TV’s weekly show ‘The Art Of…’ and sketch comedian Tom Ford, a journalist with 2 million Gen Z followers, who has also helped create social media content to promote the triple j unearthed high initiative.
Ahern stressed the importance of hiring creators with the right credentials for public service media organizations. While there are “challenges” in managing external work and maintaining authenticity of the “naturally authentic” creators, the benefits far outweigh the risks. He also noted that developing creator content is cost-effective, as it requires only a fraction of the budget of traditional broadcast production methods.
Jacqueline Eunike: Youth Radio with a Digital Content Mindset
In the same session, Jacqueline Eunike presented Mustang 88.0‘s innovative approach to youth radio.
She described Jakarta’s Mustang 88.0 as “the voice of a generation,” recognizing what young people think and fight for. The station targets teenagers and K-pop enthusiasts, leveraging their influence to create partnership opportunities for brands.
Eunike emphasized the importance of a digital content mindset, noting that today’s generation spends 1-6 hours online each day, constantly connected and shaping culture. Mustang 88.0 brings its content to high schools, events, and gigs, creating “a community space that is youthful and playful.”
The station’s formats and strategies are personality-driven and multiplatform, focusing on real stories and conversations about everyday life.
One of the standout features of Mustang 88.0 is its “After Class” shift from 4-7 pm, where young listeners can be announcers for a day. The station also engages with its audience through TikTok, allowing listeners to change the playlist of the day via messages on the platform.
Eunike explained that TikTok is “a search engine for youth, providing a more personal and truthful connection” compared to other social media platforms.
Mustang 88.0 positions itself as “a digital playground for teens,” ensuring that wherever young people hang out, they will find the station. Eunike highlighted the station’s commitment to living the young life alongside its audience, not just playing content for them. The station also explores innovative technologies like AI DJs to enhance the listening experience.
DW: Training Young Podcasters
Podcast producer and content strategist Raven Lim talked about Deutsche Welle’s podcast training for young podcasters.
“Podcast listening among youth is one of the fastest growing media segments,” said Lim.
“Podcasts are amplifying the voices of youth. They use podcasting as a tool for expression and to build media literacy.”
She identified comedy, gaming, education, mental health and social issues as some of the top podcast topics for young listeners.
The DW Akademie has developed a podcast training manual in multiple languages and delivers a range of training courses internationally for young podcasters.
Related articles: How the ABC is working with content creators
More coverage of Radiodays Asia in our Asian publication
May I add that platforms are more atune to what people listen to than the dictates of program/content directors and advertisers think that listeners want.
They pigeon hole people that if you are in a particular age group that you like a particular style of music or program content.
Example classic hits format are high rotations of John Cougar, Starship, The Eagles, Eltin John.
What about other classic hits outside the narrow playlist?
Look at the kinds of music your friends and people you know listen to and you find their curated play lists on spotify.
Nothing to do with the content imposed by broadcast radio.
Mr Ahern's discussion about podcasters talking about topics that aren't mainstream nor sponsored content purporting to be content when its really advertorial radio.
It's unusual topics that whet the listener's appetite. Example listeners are engaged when listening to a story about why escalators have grooved surfaces.
You may wonder why a 747 jumbo has a hump st the front. 747s were designed to carry cargo and the hump opened up from the front to allow cargo entering amd leaving the plane.
It's the unusual content that piques the mind of the listener. You'll hear about blockchain technology about to replace old tech in banking on social media but not on mainstream broadcast such as 2GB's money program.
This article illustrates that content is being generated by people outside the mainstream .
Content/program directors and advertisers listen to your customers and don't impose what people think they should lusten to for a particular demographic.
Thanks
Anthony, Strathfield South, in the land of of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation